


Out of the Unknown

by PainIsBlanc



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 19:42:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13597014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PainIsBlanc/pseuds/PainIsBlanc
Summary: What if only one of the brother's made it out?I know this has been done a thousand times but I felt the urge to break some hearts (including my own)





	Out of the Unknown

 

 

Wirt sat in front of his brother with a hand clasped over his mouth and eyes wide with horror. Greg's little body was pale as the branches and leaves covered him, slowly turning him into an Eldertree. Hot tears burned on Wirt's cheeks as he furiously reached out and together with Beatrice ripped and clawed at the wood. _This is all my fault_ , Wirt thought. He was supposed to be the older sibling. He was supposed to look after and protect Greg no matter what! But how many times had he just left his brother behind?  How many times had he put Greg in extreme danger because of his own cowardice? _Not this time,_ Wirt thought and snapped one of the branches in two out of pure frustration. He had to get his brother out regardless of the prize. He owe him at least that much. He couldn't let the Beast...

The Beast...

Suddenly there was a thud in the soft snow and Wirt and the little bluebird turned to see the Beast ominously hover over the Woodsman's beaten body. The man didn't move and Wirt couldn't help his eyes from being drawn to the Beast's glowing, deep gaze. The dark shadow stared the boy down for a moment before he spoke with a deep, demanding voice.

"Give me my lantern."

His voice was more cultivated and gentle than Wirt had expected and in another situation he might've obeyed. But Greg needed him and Wirt needed light to help him.

"No", he said with more confidence than he actually felt. "I have to get Greg home!" To this, the Beast looked almost pitiful before he answered and the words he spoke sent chills down the older brother's spine.

"Your brother is too weak to go home. He will soon be a part of my forest..."

"I won't let that happen!" Wirt cried out, almost interrupting the old creature. He was desperate now, could almost feel the bond between him and his brother grow weaker and weaker for every passing second. He needed to get Greg out. Now. There was a change in the atmosphere and if Wirt could've seen the Beast's moth, he was certain it would've been twisted into a sinister grin. And that was when the dark keeper came with his deal to put Greg's soul into the lantern. Wirt thought about this for a second. What if the beast was right? What if Greg was too weak and Wirt couldn't get him out in time? Maybe wandering around here as the Beast's slave in exchange for Greg's life wasn't such a bad deal. Wirt new his own life was just hanging by a thin thread. From now on he would easily sacrifice it ten times if that meant that his brother would make it. But...

"Come here", the Beast's words cut through the darkness, silky smooth and yet so threatening and Wirt found himself walking towards them, despite Beatrice's protest. But then a realization struck him. Would Greg really want this? Wouldn't he rather be home with mum and his dad? If Wirt was willing to do anything to keep his brother safe, then agreeing to the Beast's terms would keep him in constant danger. What if the light went out?

"That's dumb", the brunette spoke matter-of-factly and when the Beast snarled at him Wirt found to his own surprise that he wasn't scared of the shadow anymore. On the contrary it actually seemed like... He glanced at the lantern in his hands and then back at the Beast that was now dangerously towering over him. ...like he was holding the creature's very life in his hand. And suddenly everything lay crystal clear before him. They had all been deceived.

"It's almost like your soul is in this lantern", Wirt stated cockily but he immediately regretted doing so as all light seemed to vanish from the forest and there were just him and the Beast's big, glowing eyes with the promise of all kind of horrors.

"Are you ready to see true darkness?" he growled and the tiny bit of courage Wirt had managed to build up ran and hid. He was ready then and there to drop the lantern but something with the whole situation seemed wrong. If the Beast wanted to hurt him, he could've done so several times already. And only with pure willpower, the older brother managed to lure his courage out of its hidey-hole one last time and call the dark entity's bluff.

"Are you?" he replied and blew at the flame in his hand. The shadows immediately withdrew from around him and the Beast's eyes grew wide with pure fear. And so, Wirt's suspicion was confirmed. He snorted and handed the lantern back to the Woodsman, took the fallen axe and freed Greg from his wooden prison.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Time was short now. He could feel it in Greg's weak pulse and he ran as quickly as he could through the snow. It was first now he realized how cold he himself was. It was like a pair of icy hands held his heart in a tight grip, threatening to break it at any second. And it hurt. Every step was painful but he pressed on tirelessly, carrying Greg on his back.

"Wirt?" his brother mumbled behind him.

"You're okay, Greg. You'll be just fine. You'll soon be home again", Wirt promised, keeping his words streaming to keep his brother awake.

"You mean 'we' will be home soon, right Wirt?"

To that Wirt didn't answer but he could sense Beatrice's eyes on him as she flew next to the brothers. Her eyes were filled with concern but she didn't say anything. She looked like she already knew or at least suspected what Wirt had known for a while now.

He was so tired he was ready to drop but suddenly the trees seemed to grow thinner and the light of a blinding sunset shone between the trunks, so the older brother pressed on despite that his entire body begged him to lay down and give up. But this time it wasn't about him. So he kept going towards the burning light and when it was right in front of him he stopped.

"Wirt? What are you doing?" Beatrice said next to him and when Wirt met her eyes they were glazed with worry. He looked back at her with determination radiating from his very being but he didn't reply. Words seemed unnecessary.

"What's happening? Why did you stop?" came Greg's thin voice and it was for the first time in maybe his entire life, showing something that sounded like panic. Wirt closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He then put Greg down on the frozen ground and gripped his shoulders to support him. The little brother was still pale and tired but a pink shade was slowly returning to his cheeks and he could stand on his own, even though he seemed a bit unsteady. He rubbed his eyes as if he had just awoken from a nap.

"Why are we stopping? We're almost there!" he said and pointed towards the light. Wirt however, didn't follow the direction of his finger and just locked eyes with his brother.

"I'm sorry", Wirt began and he felt new tears burning behind his eyes. "I... I can't..." He pulled Greg into a tight hug and he could feel the younger boy tense up as realization started to crawl into his mind.

"Take our frog home and give him a nice, warm life. Can you do that for me?" he whispered into Greg's shoulder. He didn't wait for a response though and before Greg could react, his older brother had pushed him and the frog out of the forest and into the light. The next moment everything went dark and Wirt was standing in the thick woods, in the snow again. His eyes were still locked on the spot where the light of dawn had been mere seconds ago. Now there was just black, empty void, pretty much like what he was currently feeling inside him. He sighed in defeat  and closed his eyes as the tears quietly started to make their soft way down his cheeks again. A heavy hand on his shoulder made him flinch.

"Why did you do that?" the voice of the Woodsman spoke next to him. Wirt wiped at his tears  but didn't look up.

"I had to get him out. I owe him that", he simply responded.

"I understand that but why didn't you go with him?" the man pressed on and looked down at the boy next to him with concerned curiosity. To that Wirt turned to face the man and opened his cape, looking away from the former lantern bearer with something almost resembling shame. The Woodsman gasped as he saw what was hidden under the piece of clothing and from the darkness came a sharp inhale from the little bluebird. Wirt's entire torso was covered in branches and leaves that was making their way up his neck and out over his upper arms. Some of the smaller twigs even seemed to come from inside him as they were smeared with blood and the material of his shirt around them was ripped.

"I'm too deep down", Wirt stated in a hollow tone and closed the cape again as he finally raised his eyes and for a split second met the Woodsman's gaze, before staring down at his own feet. He seemed to be at a total loss of what to do next. The older man looked down at him with sad eyes but didn't say anything. He simply put a sympathetic hand on the other's shoulder.

"Oh Wirt", came Beatrice's broken voice from a branch next to him, like a shivering wind through the trees. It was obvious she was holding back her own tears.

"Well", Wirt said quietly. "Now you know."

"Oh my boy..." the Woodsman said and sat down on one knee in front of Wirt to look him directly in the eyes.

"Come with me home. I understand if you don't want or..." he glanced at were the branches was silently growing under Wirt's closed cape before continuing. "...can stay for long. But there you will have a warm bed and food until..." He trailed off, not really knowing how to end the sentence but the boy before him understood. Sighing he wiped his nose on his sleeve and silently agreed with a nod. The Woodsman stood up and with a comforting hand on Wirt's back he led him towards his home. A fluttering of wings behind them told Wirt that Beatrice followed close after. He would give her the scissors she needed as soon as they reached the Woodman's house. Wirt just needed to lay down for a bit first and get warm.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Greg's eyes fluttered open and he found himself staring straight into the white, blinding light of a fluorescent lamp. He blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness. There were people in white robes running about and for a second, Greg was utterly confused about the whole thing. Then the memories of the Unknown and the last moments in the forest came flooding back and he shivered, despite the triple blankets that was tucked around him. He looked around dimly and noticed another bed to his left that was mostly hidden behind a bunch of doctors and nurses. Through their intense and stressed mumbling he could make out three words that would forever haunt his mind:

 

  
"We lost him."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching Over the garden wall again and it just struck me how many times Wirt is actually ready to give up and stay. My interpretation is that this story is about the after life and I think that every time Wirt is ready to stay at a place his health is getting worse and he is closer to death. We also never gets to see where the elderwood-branches goes that is covering him when Greg is in Cloud city. I guess they go away when he is rescued but I thought "Hey, why not use that?".  
> Anyway! Hope you enjoyed and hope I gave you some percent of your daily angst ;)  
> I will continue with my other fics but school is a bitch right now and I needed something small to take my mind off that. Hope you have a wonderful day, lovelies!


End file.
